Page 99 of Underground Prince

Another round of applause swept across the room, and I clapped along, aware that Gordon’s speech had just ended and we were about to get another one. My stomach grumbled, wondering when the food would come.

A tap at my shoulder had me jolting in surprise.

“Miss? Could you come this way, please?”

It was one of the waitstaff. I glanced at Kai, assuming he would know what this was about, but he just shrugged as he continued to clap.

I fell in behind the waiter as he walked us out of the ballroom. I turned back, and Kai was tracking me as far as he could, until the waiter and I moved into a deserted hallway, to a waiting elevator.

Once we were enough of a distance away to speak in normal tones, I asked, “Where are we going?”

“I’ve been tasked to collect you. Mr. Saxon wants an audience with you.”

“Which one?” I asked. “Theo?”

The veiled friendly face of Gordon Saxon swam in my mind’s eye. I shook my head at the waiter. “On second thought, I think I’m good. I’ll go back to my seat now.” I lifted my dress to do just that, but a man poofed into existence behind me, his arms folded across his abdomen.

“I’m afraid we can’t allow that,” the waiter said. I glanced between him and the new guy, unsure of my peril and what the possible best reaction could be. Scream? Smile? We were at agala. Who’d do something to a gussied-up lady at a black tie charity event?

I was going to kill Kai. Maim him and tie him up and smack him for not being more concerned that I was being carted away.

“It’s just up a few floors,” the waiter said, trying to coax me into the elevator.

“Whatis?” I asked him. “A chair to affix me to? A handkerchief to gag me?”

Another male body appeared, just as daunting as the first. I pointed at him. “You’re not helping the situation.”

The first guy cracked a smile. “The presidential suite, if that applies to your tastes.”

Oh, lovely. This evening was about to get thatmuch better than it already was. He assumed I was a call girl.

I sneered at him. “Been there. Done that.”

“Please step into the elevator. He only has so much time,” the second guy said, sidling up beside me as if his proximity alone could get me to move away from him and farther into the elevator. It worked.

“Listen, I’m sure you get off on intimidating young girls,” I said, “but I’m no one’s bitch. So back thehelloff.”

I didn’t have anything to threaten them with, so I had to go on my tone alone. Which was, thankfully, not too tremulous. I crossed my arms, refusing to budge any further.

Sadly, that was just what the second guy was waiting for. He simply threw me over his shoulder.

“Theo!” I cried on instinct.

I punched at his back as he hauled me into the elevator, feet flailing until the first guy cursed and grabbed onto them to stop me from spearing him in the eyes. The waiter backed away, hands up in surrender as the elevator doors closed between us, and I hoped that my face—my expression of shock and pleading terror—would be the first thing he recalled when he tried to get to sleep tonight.

“Put me.”Punch.“Down!”

My heels were pulled from my feet, and that alone almost sent me into hysterics. They were my sole weapon. The one thing I had on me other than my stubby nails that I could defend myself with.

“Please!”

This was not good. This wasn’t Theo. He wouldn’t be doing this, sending these men to bully me, to carry me unwilling back to his hotel room. So while I knew all this, I had the desperate hope that he would still be on the other side. That this was a prank and I’d be okay, and Kai would come bursting out the side room of the suite, hands full of mini liquor bottles, saying, “Joke’s on you!”

My eyes welled up.

Sickness roiled. The man’s shoulder was digging into my stomach and I was about to expel all the fear building up inside.

“Please,” I whispered now.

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